Some of the teachers at Mercer Education:

Eric Cohen

Eric Cohen established Mercer Education in 1999 after having taught ESL, language arts and SAT test prep for over thirteen years in Taipei, New York City, Paris, San Francisco and Seattle. He graduated from Phillips Academy (Andover) in 1983 and was awarded a B.A. from Harvard University cum laude in East Asian Languages and Civilizations in 1988. In addition, Eric earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in Teaching ESL from Seattle University in 1997.

While acting as the president and principal instructor of Mercer Education, Eric leads a team of highly qualified teachers who all share the same passion for the pedagogy of English, literature and math. Together they are committed to presenting a fresh, unique enrichment education service of exceptional quality and scope.

Rebecca Romines

Rebecca Romines joined Mercer Education in the fall of 1999 and has also been independently tutoring students in English and the humanities since 1998. Rebecca received her M.A. in Teaching and Washington State teaching credentials from Seattle University in 1992 with endorsements in English, French and Political Science. After graduate school, Rebecca embarked on the project of motherhood and continued to work part-time with talented educators at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to update and implement a national K-12 cancer prevention curriculum. Rebecca earned her B.A. from the University of Washington in 1985. She spent five years in marketing communications before combining an enthusiasm for young people and enjoyment of languages and literature to pursue a teaching career.

Christina Bogar

Christina Bogar earned her B.A. in English from the University of Washington in 1984 and went on from there to develop a career in high-tech international business. However, with the births of her two children and her consequent experience volunteering in their schools, she decided to change career paths, and in 1999 earned a Masters Degree in Education (M.Ed.) and a teaching certificate from Western Washington University. Christina has taught English at both the middle school and high school levels, most recently at Interlake High School in the Bellevue School District. She has been with Mercer Education since September of 2000, teaching students of all ages. With its extremely low student-to-teacher ratio and the ability of the teachers to tailor the curriculum to the individual student's needs, she considers it to be an outstanding educational environment and a very special place to work.

Lorelei Arzaga

Lorelei Arzaga has followed a dual career path since graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English from California State University, Fullerton, and a M.A. in English Literature from California State University, Long Beach. After becoming certified in public accountancy, Lorelei held managerial positions in primarily not-for-profit environments that support the arts and social services. Committed to the field of education, Lorelei has taught a variety of English courses in several venues which include English Literature and Composition at CSULB and Cerritos College in Los Angeles, coursework at Highline, Bellevue, and Seattle Community Colleges, ESL classes at community and church centers, private tutoring, and volunteer work in school and library programs. Promoting poetry is one of her passions in life toward which end she has conducted and participated in numerous events that showcase the “ineffable beauty and addicting charm” of language art and the spoken word. Lorelei joined ME in 2001 and finds her work with individuals and groups extremely rewarding.

Amanda Gibson

Amanda Gibson graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Russian Studies in 1999, after which she earned her M.A. from Harvard University in Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies in the spring of 2003. Her academic focus throughout college and graduate school was on Russian studies, with an emphasis on literature and language. Amanda began peer tutoring as an undergraduate and has worked extensively in education for over seven years in a range of capacities involving adult literacy, the training and counseling of prison inmates, and English as a Second Language. She has also done work in nonprofit educational organizations in Washington, D.C. While completing her degrees, Amanda lived and traveled extensively in Africa and Central Asia, Russia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. She brings her enthusiasm for foreign languages and cultures as well as her own passion for writing into her teaching, and since recently moving to Seattle, Amanda has continued to enjoy the positive energy and excitement that comes from teaching. Amanda joined Mercer Education in May of 2004.

Frank Chang

Frank Chang completed his college education in Taiwan and earned a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Feng Chia University in 1976. After moving to the United States, he earned a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Oregon in 1982 and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1991. He has been working for Boeing since 1990 as a Sr. Principle Engineer/Project Manager.

In addition to his full-time job, Frank enjoys teaching Math to students of various levels. Beginning in 1997, he tutored students in K-12 Math and SAT test prep as the principal instructor at BC Education Center in Federal Way for two years. He has been coaching students of the Math Club in the Issaquah School District since 1998 and has been leading students to attend statewide Math competitions, such as MathCounts, Math Championship and Math Olympics, with many of them winning awards. Frank joined Mercer Education in the spring of 2002.

John Werth

John Werth joined the staff at ME in July of 2002. He has earned a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon and an M.S. from Western Washington University, as well as a Washington teaching certificate. John has taught as a TA at the University of California, Santa Barbara and at Western Washington University. He also taught independently at Moorpark College, California and Green River and Pierce Colleges in Washington. Most recently, he was a high school band director, which was an experience he valued very much in getting to know the “high school mind.” John has returned to school in the summer of 2003 and is pursuing his Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Washington. He and his wife, Julie, who is a high school music teacher, live in Kirkland.

Mariah Voutilainen

Mariah Voutilainen graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2000 with a B.A. in German Cultural Studies. While completing her degree, Mariah tutored English to both graduate and high school students. Upon graduation, Mariah became a Teach for America Corps member, and spent two years teaching third grade in Long Beach, California. During this time, she completed work towards her California State teaching credential. Mariah joined Mercer Education after moving to Seattle in the fall of 2002 and tutors students in English, German and Biology. She received her Washington state teaching certificate with endorsements in multiple subject/K-12 education and is currently working on her Master’s degree in education at the University of Washington.

Andrea Baer

Andrea Baer graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas in German and psychology in 2001, thereafter moving to Seattle to enjoy the area’s beauty and culture. After working for a year in a therapeutic preschool at Ryther Child Center, she returned to graduate school at the University of Washington, earning her M.A. in comparative literature in 2004. In June 2008 she plans to complete her Ph.D. in comparative literature, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary American and German literature, as well as cultural and gender studies. Andrea has instructed writing, literature, film, and German language at the University of Washington. She has also taught German to children and adolescents in a number of contexts, including the German Language School of Seattle and summer language immersion camps. Her studies have also offered her opportunities to live and study abroad in Germany, Austria, and Denmark. Andrea brings to her teaching and her work at Mercer Education her love of learning, language, and cultural exchange and understanding. Andrea joined Mercer Education in April 2006.

Brian Goedde

Brian Goedde graduated magna cum laude from New York University in 1999, earning a B.A. in Literature. He has since been a writer and editor for various newspapers and magazines, including staff positions at The Rocket and The Stranger, and has presented essays at conferences such as the Richard Hugo House's Annual Inquiry and the EMP's Pop Music Conference. In 2001 his chapbook of criticism, The World Is Yours: The Geography of Hiphop, was published by 10th Ave E Press.

Brian tutored students in ESL and Language Arts all through college, and has been a writing mentor at the Richard Hugo House and an ESL instructor at Casa Latina, both in Seattle. In addition to ESL, he has extensive experience in working with students diagnosed with ADD and/or ADHD. He also teaches the literature course Music Criticism Beyond Air Guitar at the ASUW Experimental College, and is working on a CD of music criticism with an Artist Support award from Jack Straw Studios. Brian joined Mercer Education in January of 2003.

George Herland

George Herland joined Mercer Education in 2003. He earned a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and a Master’s degree from New York University where he was also a candidate for the Ph.D. Most recently, George taught at Lakeside School in Seattle where he was also the high school principal. Prior to coming to Seattle to take up the upper school directorship at Lakeside, he was for ten years the principal at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He has also taught at Trinity School in Manhattan. For one year George was a guest curator for the New York Historical Society and for one term, a school teaching fellow at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland. He is married and has three children.

Becky Boberg

Becky Boberg began tutoring in 8th grade, at the request of her math teacher. She earned a B.A. in Mathematics from UCLA in 1979. For seven years, she worked in the aerospace industry developing mathematical models for electric vehicles, detection countermeasures, and tactical planning. To accommodate her young children’s needs, she established a part-time consulting service specializing in computer applications and instruction for small business owners. She became passionate about education that respects each child’s innate drive to develop as she watched her own children make their way through the educational system. For the last five years, she has thoroughly enjoyed home schooling her teenagers. She has taught a variety of small group classes, including robotics, programming, math lab, art, and K-1. She has been insufferably pleased with herself since her son commented on how glad he is to have been mercilessly trained to always SHOW YOUR WORK! Becky joined Mercer Education in September of 2003.

Clint Chan

Clint Chan graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley. He spent the next 5 years working as a Toolkit Applications Engineer at RSA Security Inc. In order to focus his career on education, Clint decided to leave RSA and spent the 2002-2003 school year as an AmeriCorps volunteer in rural Washington at White Pass Jr./Sr. High School. During the year, he spent time in school and in after-school homework help sessions doing one-on-one and small group tutoring in math. He also helped staff the Nova Net program, an alternative program where high school students could complete coursework online for credit, which was in its first year in the White Pass School District. Clint joined Mercer Education in September 2003 and is currently earning a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, Mathematics Option, at the University of Washington.

Sarah Salzer

Sarah Salzer joined Mercer Education in the fall of 2005. Prior to this, Sarah taught English at Chitose High School in Hokkaido Japan for three years through the Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Sarah began pursuing her interest in education as a substitute teacher in the Anchorage School District, filling in for teachers at all levels, with special emphasis in elementary special education. Later, while earning her B.A. in Environmental Biology at Barnard College of Columbia University, Sarah taught reading at a New York City public school. Sarah’s interest in biology and global sustainability issues led her to Hokkaido University's Gr aduate School of Agriculture where she earned an M.S. in BioResources from the Division of Plant Nutrition. Currently, Sarah works for the Biology Department at Seattle Central Community College while teaching courses in language arts, math, and science at Mercer Education.

Melissa Shogren

Melissa Shogren received her Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Washington, Seattle, her K-8 teaching certification from the Bothell campus of the University of Washington, and her English as a Second Language endorsement from Seattle Pacific University. She has lived and studied in Sweden, which she feels has given her an understanding of, and love for, teaching ESL students. Out of the many jobs Mrs. Shogren has held -- Swedish language college instructor, substitute teacher, newspaper reporter, and child-birth educator -- she has most enjoyed working as a tutor at Mercer Education. Mrs. Shogren teaches students ranging from 1st graders to seniors in high school, and is especially fond of tutoring ESL students in history and working with elementary-age students. Melissa joined Mercer Education in September of 2006.

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